Monday, May 29, 2006

cija | code of ethics

All members of the Cook Islands Journalists Association are pledged to stand by their fellow members in observing and enforcing the Code of Ethics.

Respect for and pursuit of the truth and the public's right to know are overriding principles for all journalists.

Pursuant to these principles, journalists commit themselves to certain ethical and professional standards. All members of CIJA engaged in gathering, transmitting, disseminating and commenting on news and information shall observe the following Code of Ethics in their professional activities.

1. They shall report and interpret facts and information scrupulous honesty by striving to disclose all essential facts and information and by not surpressing relevant, available facts and information or by distorting the facts and information, by inappropriate or improper emphasis;

3. In all circumstances they shall respect all confidences, trusts and undertakings given and received in the course of their calling;

4. They shall not allow personal interests to influence them in their working activities.

5. They shall not allow their working activities to be influenced by any consideration, gift or advantage offered and, where appropriate, shall disclose any such offer.

6. They shall not allow advertising or commercial considerations to influence them in their working activities;

7. They shall use fair, honest and determined means to obtain news, films, tapes and documents containing facts and information required for their working activities;

8. They shall identify themselves and their employers before obtaining any interview, facts and information obtained with the intention of publication or broadcast.

9. They shall respect private grief and personal privacy and shall have the right to resist any order or compulsion by any party for them to conduct working activities which may have the direct or indirect result of infringing on any person in grief or requiring personal privacy.

10. They shall report and interpret all facts and information and carry out their working activities without fear or favour of any party and shall not be influenced by any threat, real or implied, from any party, including any employer, government agent, business interest, or diplomatic representative.

11. They shall do their utmost to correct any published or broadcast information or fact found to be harmfully inaccurate whether done so intentionally or unintentionally; and shall broadcast or publish decisions of the complaints committee of CIJA as defined in the constitution.